Asia: The largest of the continents. It was known to the Romans more specifically as what we know today as Asia Minor. The name comes from at least two possible sources: from the Assyrian asu (to rise) or from the Sanskrit usa (dawn), both with reference to its being the land of the rising sun, i.e., eastern as opposed

NIH MeSH · D001208Geographicals

Asia

Definition

The largest of the continents. It was known to the Romans more specifically as what we know today as Asia Minor. The name comes from at least two possible sources: from the Assyrian asu (to rise) or from the Sanskrit usa (dawn), both with reference to its being the land of the rising sun, i.e., eastern as opposed to Europe, to the west. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p82 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p34)

MeSH classification

  • Z01.252

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Related concepts

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Country located north and west of Pakistan, and east of Iran. The capital is Kabul.

Africa

The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN.

Africa, Central

The geographical area of Africa comprising CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; CHAD; CONGO; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; EQUATORIAL GUI…

Africa, Eastern

The geographical area of Africa comprising BURUNDI, DJIBOUTI, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN, TANZANIA, and UGANDA.

Africa, Northern

The geographical area of Africa comprising ALGERIA; EGYPT; LIBYA; MOROCCO and TUNISIA. It includes also the vast deserts and oases of the Sa…

Africa South of the Sahara

All of Africa except Northern Africa (AFRICA, NORTHERN) including ANGOLA; BENIN; BOTSWANA; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE; CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRIC…

Africa, Southern

The geographical area of Africa comprising ANGOLA; BOTSWANA; LESOTHO; MALAWI; MOZAMBIQUE; NAMIBIA; SOUTH AFRICA; SWAZILAND; ZAMBIA; and ZIMB…

Africa, Western

The geographical area of Africa comprising BENIN; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE, COTE D'IVOIRE (formerly Ivory Coast); GAMBIA; GHANA; GUINEA; GUI…

Common questions about Asia

What does Asia mean in medicine?
The largest of the continents. It was known to the Romans more specifically as what we know today as Asia Minor. The name comes from at least two possible sources: from the Assyrian asu (to rise) or from the Sanskrit usa (dawn), both with reference to its being the land of the rising sun, i.e., eastern as opposed to Europe, to the west. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p82 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p34) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Asia known by any other names?
Asia is the canonical name in the MeSH vocabulary. There are no commonly used alternate names for this concept in the official NIH database.
Where does Asia sit in the medical classification?
Asia falls under the broader medical category "Geographicals" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: Z01.252). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Asia?
For a plain-language explanation of Asia - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Asia" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D001208) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗